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Sulphur High School will celebrate ''100 years of excellence'' next month with a full slate of events. The event begins at 9 a.m. April 20 in the school’s auditorium with opening ceremonies and the dedication of the clock tower and Hall of Fame. Twelve Sulphur High graduates will be inducted into the Hall of Fame — including J.W. Stine, class of 1931; Betty Bailey Crouch, class of 1944 and Jack Hebert, class of 1958. (Natalie Stewart / American Press)

Sulphur High School to celebrate centennial

SULPHUR — Sulphur High School will celebrate “100 years of excellence” next month with a full slate of events planned.

The event will kick off at 9 a.m. April 20 in the school’s auditorium with opening ceremonies and the dedication of the clock
tower and Hall of Fame.

SHS teachers Carol Smith and Mike
Danos, co-chairpersons of the event, said 12 Sulphur High graduates will
be inducted into
the Hall of Fame — including J.W. Stine, class of 1931; Betty
Bailey Crouch, class of 1944; Jack Hebert, class of 1958; George
Hardy Vincent, class of 1953.

Smith said fallen servicemen and women will also be honored during the opening ceremonies.

“It’s going to be a fun day and it’s free to the public,” Smith, who is also an ‘82 graduate, said. “We want everyone to come
out and see the history of the school through the years.”

The celebration will also include a “museum-style” set-up in the high school’s gym with displays of memorabilia, uniforms,
newspaper articles and other items through the decades.

Smith said those who aren’t able to make the celebration but want to see the display can see it at the Brimstone Museum where
it will be on display for a month following the event.

Several locals authors will also be at the event doing book signing. William R. Sutton and L. Russell Keene will have their
book “Herman Frasch: the Sulphur King;” Calvin Sharpe will be signing his book “Sulphur — A History;” David “Moon” Walker
will be signing his book “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good;” and former Mayor Ron LeLeaux will be signing his books “Stories
Growing Up in the Bayou State,” “West Elizabeth,” and “Along the Way.”

Smith said the event will also include tours of the school, a concert performance by the school choir and band, which will
include current and former choir and band members, and reunions for current and former coaches and athletes, club members,
dancers, cheerleaders, and teachers.

There will also be class reunions.

There will also be an antique car show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the senior parking lot.

Smith said they were also able to locate a time capsule, which will be opened at the centennial celebration, and another will
be enclosed into concrete bench that is being made special for the capsule.

“We found the time capsule and we now
know exactly where it is and what’s in it,” she said. “We will be
putting another capsule
in, but in a concrete bench instead of burying it so buildings
don’t get built on top of it, which was the case with one.
School clubs and teams are donating items for the time capsule and
they will be on display for everyone to see what is going
into it.”

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear several stories of how Sulphur High got its mascot — the Golden Tornado.

“One version is that after a 1918 hurricane, there was a tornado that hit Sulphur High and wiped out the entire top story,
and they named the mascot after that,” she said. “The year after that, in 1919, we had our first basketball team so that’s
a possibility.”

Danos said at one time the school was known as “the big orange.”

There will be free cake, cookies, and drinks at the event and other food being sold by the SHS band, wrestlers, and the Pro
Start class.

AllStar Buick GMC Truck also donated a 2013 Buick Verano to give-away in a drawing that will be held the day of the event.

“People need to come in and register,” Jack Hebert, owner, said. “We want to make a big to-do of this. We gave this car in
honor of Sulphur High School’s 100-years.”

The car will also be parked at the Sulphur Mines Festival, March 8-9, where people can register to win it.

Smith said centennial flags are also for sale at the school for $25 to help raise funds for the event.